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Does this formation work for England?

Gareth Southgate only alighted on the 3-5-2 system in the March friendlies, falling in behind the general vogue for the three-man defence that Antonio Conte ushered in during his first season as Chelsea manager. For England this formation has historical baggage, coming as it does with memories of Steve McClaren’s attempt to introduce it in the doomed Euro 2008 qualifying campaign on the advice of his assistant Terry Venables.

These players are much more comfortable now but it is the rest of the system that bares examination, a 3-5-2 formation that often aligns as 3-3-2-2 when the team assume their shape. In the first half, the wing-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold...